Children embrace Matariki
Hampton Hill School students set goals, planted a tree and showed off their research skills as part of an observance of Matariki last week.
Inviting two nearby kindergartens to one of their classrooms, students performed a powhiri, sang their school song and gave a Powerpoint presentation on the Maori new year. Visiting toddlers and their teachers responded with their own version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Although the rain was coming down, the opportunity was taken to tidy up the school grounds and plant a kowhai tree. Speciallymade stars, with goals written on them, will be hung from three trees in the school grounds.
Goals such as winning a Tawa Citizenship Award, turning up to school every day and helping others where possible were some of the objectives.
Braden Fahey wanted to get better at touch rugby, Vidhya Madhav desired an improvement in her maths skills, while Grace Day wished she could be better at PE ‘‘even though I don’t enjoy it’’.
Teacher Kelly Barker said they saw Matariki as an opportunity to open their doors to the community and show off the students’ ambitions to better themselves. Every week this month the children will learn something related to the observance.
‘‘ The kids have embraced Matariki, they’re amazing. The celebration is about working together and relationshipbuilding, everyone has a part to play,’’ said Ms Barker.
‘‘We want to draw on the expertise in our community to make it a better place for everyone, this school is not just somewhere for kids and teachers.’’